Combat questions

[rancke]

After much searching I found the damage done by unarmed combat, 1D (it's in the equipment section!) Is it correct that you don't modify the damage according to strength or dexterity or skill?

The rules says you add the Effect of the attack roll to the damage. What is the Effect of the attack roll?

Is it correct that there is no such thing as non-lethal damage?

Where are the rules for recovering lost health?


Hans

 

[whulorigan]

After much searching I found the damage done by unarmed combat, 1D (it's in the equipment section!) Is it correct that you don't modify the damage according to strength or dexterity or skill?

The rules says you add the Effect of the attack roll to the damage. What is the Effect of the attack roll?

Effect is a rules-term specifically defined on p. 50 of the MgT Core Rulebook (which see). There is a table.

 

[whulorigan]

Is it correct that there is no such thing as non-lethal damage?

Where are the rules for recovering lost health?

Fatigue, Injury & Recovery are detailed on p. 74-75 of the MgT Core Rulebook (which see).

I am not aware of rules for non-lethal damage, but that doesn't mean there aren't any.

 

[McPerth]

The rules says you add the Effect of the attack roll to the damage. What is the Effect of the attack roll?

Basically, effect is what you roll over the needed number (roll exactly is effect 0 success, rolling 5 over the required number is effect 5 success).

 

[Kilgs]

No book in front of me but I think there was "subdual" damage...

 

[whulorigan]

No book in front of me but I think there was "subdual" damage...

I did a search of the PDF of the MgT Core Rulebook. Subdue and Subdual do not appear.

Searching by "non-lethal", in the weapons section on p.100-101, I found references to "Stunners" and "Stun Grenades":

Stun:
Stun weapons are non-lethal and do not inflict normal damage. A character struck by a stun weapon must make an Endurance check with a negative DM equal to the damage (after armour is subtracted). If this Endurance check is failed the character is knocked unconscious. If the Endurance check is successful, the character is unaffected by the weapon and the stun damage is ignored.

Perhaps this could be modified and used as a general basis for "non-lethal" damage?

 

[CosmicGamer]

The rules says you add the Effect of the attack roll to the damage. What is the Effect of the attack roll?

The die roll adjusted by all DMs -8.

Is it correct that you don't modify the damage according to strength or dexterity or skill?

Yes and No. These would be DMs for the attack roll which has a direct influence on effect which as you know is a +DM to damage.

non-lethal damage?

What do you mean by non-lethal damage?

Someone already mentioned stun damage.

 

[rancke]

What do you mean by non-lethal damage?

Someone using a weapon that causes bruises rather than wounds. A fist as opposed to a knife for example. Or using the flat of a sword instead of the edge.


Hans

 

[CosmicGamer]

Someone using a weapon that causes bruises rather than wounds. A fist as opposed to a knife for example. Or using the flat of a sword instead of the edge.

I think I get what your saying but the rules are more abstract. A bruise or broken bone from a blunt weapon is still damage. The "less leathness" of certain attacks is represented by them not doing as much damage.

 

[rancke]

I think I get what your saying...

I'm baffled that you only think you get it. AFAIK it's a feature of most roleplaying rules, though my memory may be subject to selection bias.

...but the rules are more abstract. A bruise or broken bone from a blunt weapon is still damage. The "less leathness" of certain attacks is represented by them not doing as much damage.

Yeah, that's a level of abstraction that I'm not content with. A bruise is certainly still damage. It's just a different kind of damage from a wound. But that's fine. Now I know that unlike some of the other things that I couldn't find the rules for (and that people have kindly told me where to find (thanks, people!)), non-lethal damage simply isn't covered by MgT.


Hans

 

[CosmicGamer]

I'm baffled that you only think you get it. AFAIK it's a feature of most roleplaying rules, though my memory may be subject to selection bias.

Perhaps you could explain it so that I can go from "thinking" I get it to knowing exactly what you are thinking and why.

The other Traveller version I'm most familiar with is CT. I don't recall it handling the "non-leathal" damage differently. At least not from the starter set rules and few other supplements I own. Am I wrong?

Speaking of other games; I can't afford to collect all the Traveller stuff let alone a bunch of different systems. Until a recent LotR game, I'd only played 2 tabletop role playing systems (I'm counting the similar versions of Traveller as one) since 1995 and only a handful before that. Mostly I was into computer games until Mongoose.

Of the computer RPG's I've played, I don't recall them differentiating between different types of damage. They even lump magic damage in with the rest and the damage just knocks down your health.

In all honesty, other than non damage attacks like stun, I'm not sure why it needs to be treated differently. A good punch in the chest could break ribs and puncture a lung requiring medical attention and a certain amount of time where you will probably not be at full capacity. A poor strike with a knife could be a wound that could be ignored until the combat ends and then just needs stitches or at high tech, a spray on antiseptic, pain killer, and sealer all in one that the person has in their own personal first aid kit and they're good to go.

I'm not criticizing you for wanting it different. I bet if you explained it well enough for me to understand I'd be more than willing to give it a try in a Traveller game you GMed.

 

[rancke]

Perhaps this could be modified and used as a general basis for "non-lethal" damage?

Oh, house-ruling non-lethal damage is not a problem. Just keep track of bruises separately, going under zero on all three physical stats is not lethal, and recovery from bruises is ten times faster. Or something similar.


Hans